The Project Bow 2007 DVD

Updated on March 14, 2011

Project Bow 2006 DVD

Every year for the past three years, we have put out a video on Bow's progress. The video was sent to well-wishers and supporters, and it was free of charge. In each video, we told about Bow's accomplishments that year, as well as the challenges and setbacks and general progress. The video for 2007 is the latest in that series. (The one for 2008 is not yet done.)

Many readers on hubpages have asked if there are any videos of Bow that they can watch. After considerable soul searching, I've decided to upload the 2007 video and share it with you here.

Project Bow 2007 DVD Part One

Project Bow 2007 DVD Part Two

Project Bow 2007 DVD Part Three

Project Bow 2007 DVD Part Four

Project Bow 2007 DVD Part Five

I apologize for the poor production values and the difficult-to-read captions. I had to remaster when I cut the DVD back down into clips, and we lost some resolution along the way. For those who do not speak Hebrew, I suggest you look at the translations on the other Project Bow hubpages that discuss the same clips:

Project Bow 2007 DVD Part 6

Bow's Development: Age Three Through FiveWhen Bow was three years old, he could use his lexigrams to ask for what he wanted;he could understand what we told him; and he could even show real concern about our feelings, giving someone who was sad a...

Comments 10 comments

This is absolutely fascinating and puts a lump in my throat. Thank you so much for taking the time to share these videos here on Hubpages. They are wonderful. I'm looking forward to the next installment. Happy New Year to Bow and you and the whole family:-)

Aya Katz 7 years ago from The Ozarks Author

Robie2, thanks for your comment. Happy New Year to you as well!

Jerilee Wei 7 years ago from United States

I was so hoping you'd publish a hub like this! Watched it early this a.m. and will be looking at it again, before I ask you a couple of questions! This hub deserves everyone's attention and it's worth every minute watching the videos. Very impressive.

Aya Katz 7 years ago from The Ozarks Author

Jerilee, thanks! I look forward to your questions.

Francie Jones 7 years ago

Hi -

I find your approach interesting. Though I did have a question: one of my teachers told me that when young chimps rock back and forth that that's a sign of an unhealthy state, like a stereotypical behavior. It looked like Bow was rocking. Why do you think this is?

Thanks

Fran

Fran again 7 years ago

Also, you mentioned in the video that you were looking for ways to make your work more objective. Do you think that if you wore a blindfold while Bow was using the "RH", and another researcher recorded the letters he touched, that would help convince some people?

Thanks again - F.

Aya Katz 7 years ago from The Ozarks Author

Fran, thanks for your comments.

Yes, I've heard Bow's rocking referred to as self-stimming behavior. He usually does it if he has to wait for something that he wants right away. It's also a way to let us know he's displeased. He doesn't do it all the time, and he often puts on this behavior as a way of getting what he wants. (For instance, he doesn't like being alone. If I leave for a moment he will start rocking, but as soon as I'm out of sight, he will stop. It's a way to manipulate Mommy.)

People have suggested blindfold or opaque glasses. This won't work because Bow will know I can't see. The reason he started using our hands as pointers was because he wanted us to see what he was saying. Otherwise, he went too fast for us. He needs immediate feedback from the person he's communicating with. He won't use one person's hand to secure the attention of another one.

However, we are working on getting a touch screen computer that will sound out what Bow types. This will be objective and hopefully we can convince him to use it.

onthewriteside 7 years ago from Canton, Ohio

Aya...I popped over to this hub from the text hub about Bow. After reading that other hub, and having seen the video series, I have to say that I am totally amazed. If I'm not mistaken, a chimp's genome differs from that of a human's by less than 1%. So when considering Bow's potential in these terms, it shouldn't surprise us that he would be capable of much more than we usually give chimps credit for. After watching the videos, it was clear to me that there was no bias going on...however I understand your difficulty, because of the researcher's hand problem, in convincing the scientific community of that.

With respect to the text-to-speech device issue, and the fact that Bow needs immediate response from whomever he is communicating with, is it necessary for someone to be physically in the room with him in order to get him to communicate? What I'm asking is if he has ever communicated on his own when everyone else was on the other side of the glass, but was just to fast to understand?

If that is the case, then have you considered connecting some sort of tactile sensor beneath each of the lexigrams that could record his touch and transmit the response directly to a computer which could then display the letters on a screen immediately so the researcher could see what he was "typing" in real time? It could probably be done by taking an old keyboard apart and using the tactile switches below each letter. With a little modification, you could place these between the lexigrams and the glass. Would this not allow you to respond quickly enough to satisfy his needs? I'm sure a system like this could be tweaked for sensitivity so that even the lightest touch could be detected. Speed shouldn't be an issue with modern computer technology. Perhaps in time, once he realized that you could understand him in this fashion, he may become more willing to communicate without the need for the researcher's hand. Just a thought. I'm sure there are variables I am not aware of concerning Bow's reluctance to communicate outside his comfort zone, but I thought I would throw it out there.

At any rate, what you have done with this chimp is simply incredible, and I wish I was a millionaire so I could help in your funding! Who knows...maybe if my book does REALLY well, I can help out! I can dream can't I? hehe! Anyway...keep up the great work and tell Bow for me that we aren't really all that concerned with his lying. In fact I think he is one fantastic little dude.

Aya Katz 7 years ago from The Ozarks Author

Onthewriteside, thanks for your enthusiastic response! Yes, Bow does sometimes point at letters when everyone is on the other side of the glass, but we can seldom follow fast enough. Which is why he doesn't persist...

The idea of placing tactile switches from an old keyboard under each letter is good in principle, but hard to implement because if the switches were on his side of the glass, Bow would take them apart in no time at all. However, I do have a touchscreen computer that we hope to make available to Bow very soon. We are still working on the software, but I hope to have it all implemented in a few months.

onthewriteside 7 years ago from Canton, Ohio

Oh that devious little rascal! Well I wish you the best of luck, and let me know if you would like me to review your manuscript...I would be happy to help!

Ape Language Studies

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